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Tiana resumed the task at hand - plating cookies and placing them delicately on the cooling rack. It wasn't that Tiana didn't take Vidia's words seriously - she obviously had a piece of work for a boss and Tiana would need to prepare for that. But honestly, Vidia was being a piece of work too. If Tiana could handle her diva attitude, she could handle anything.

"I understand," The waitress decided to be gracious, focusing on the kitchen instead of her anger at the situation, "It's like that joining any kind of job, Vid. I mean, sounds like you're just not used to being a team player," The most obvious statement of the year, but maybe Vidia needed to hear it, "Have you heard anything bad from your coworkers yet though? I bet most of them like you well enough."

Vidia pursed her lips quietly, not quite able to come up with a snappy comeback for Tiana's statement. Vidia had spent way too long in her training getting yelled up by other professionals, so now she'd just taken that energy and turned it back on Tiana, "Fine, I'll let you do your things," Admittedly, Tiana knew the kitchen better than she did. Just like Vidia knew the race track better than, well, anyone, "It's not just you that has a lot riding on this though, you know. I just want everything to be perfect." Everything had to be, in Vidia's world, because she didn't accept anything less that the best, "Being new to the news cycle is weird, and I still have to prove I'm the best person on the team."

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"Maybe a little bad," Tiana could definitely admit to getting caught up in "bad" thinking recently. Usually they were just so determined, so ambitious when thinking about their dream of owning a business someday, they didn't have time to think about anything else. But now all of a sudden, they were thinking about losing people, losing relationships. Especially without their father here to share the dream with, would the restaurant really mean the same thing if there were fewer people to celebrate it with when Tiana finally had the money for it?

"Girl, I've had too much clarity lately. I'm just hoping my mom doesn't ask about it, because I cannot take her talking about my mental health right now," Again, the intellectual side of Tiana knew to take their mental health seriously, but their heart was constantly pulling them towards the future. The goals. Everything but keeping a healthy social life and slowing down to enjoy the scenery, "Things'll get back together in the new year. I'll be back into my routine."

Which might not have been a good thing, if it meant dropping calls and not making plans with people again... But right now, Tiana would take solace in things returning to their normal pace, "Please tell me you've got clarity about something good lately? That's what we need right now."

a soft melody hummed beneath her breath, an old tune her mother used to sing for her when she was a child. now it sort of became her elevator music for whenever she was thinking. "is it bad thinking?" she thought to inquire, looking to tiana without any hint of judgement. she didn't want to pry and she didn't want to assume, but it sounded as if it was something that was bothering tiana. "i find this time of year always brings about reflections. i try not to make think of them as 'good' or 'bad' though- every bit of perception is meant to give us better clarity. there's never anything wrong with that."

she understood the sentiment, if her suspicions were correct though. it must've felt like life was getting ahead of them, especially with this time of the year. she sympathized- her own hours and monotony bothered her in the late hours of the evening. despite, tiana's hours her goal never shifted focus- always staying right on the prize of her dreams. wendy wished her own vision was as clear, though that wasn't the focus at the moment. she didn't want to project onto tiana. that'd just be unfair of her.

"oh tiana," a smile brightened up her face. despite the looming notion of now reaching out to her own mother, wendy thought the idea were splendid! now tiana and eudora had a chance to enjoy the holidays together! "it'll be a wonderful memory to look back on then!"

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"Uh uh, hell no. There is no way I'm getting thrown up on by a toddler and kissin' a stranger at midnight in the same day."

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Tiana could only spare a quick moment of victory to chuckle at the shot hitting Danny. When he fell to the ground, obviously he wasn't hurt, but it made the waitress backtrack their running path to get closer again. Maybe it was old instincts, but best to just make sure everyone was still having a good time before continuing! Within seconds though, Tiana regretted her decision to get closer, as closing the distance between then meant Danny was in perfect sights to smash her with more snow, "Wait, that's not fair, I thought we were in time out!"

She's turning and running again, expecting to get hit with a thudding crash in seconds. When nothing comes, Tiana back against a telephone pole on the curb, turning just in time to see Danny's next shot fall apart in mid air, "Okay, okay, I gotta catch my breath," And it wasn't as if she could hide very well behind a telephone pole anyways, "You can have a freebie for that one."

Danny let out an exaggerated gasp, stopping mid-step as the snowball shattered against his arm. "Oh no!" he cried out, clutching his arm like he'd been mortally wounded. "You got me! Right in the arm! How ever will I recover?" He stumbled back a few steps, playfully collapsing into the snow, arms splayed wide for maximum effect. After a few moments of playing dead, he peeked at her through one eye, playful grin already creeping back onto his face. "No, it didn't hurt. But, it did make things personal." he teased, giggling as he sat up again, brushing the snow off of his coat.

In one fell swoop, Danny scooped up a double handful of snow and began rolling it into a large, borderline comically oversized, snowball. "Now, you're for it." he mumbled as he hoisted the snowball up with both hands. With a playful laugh, he took a few wobbly steps before lobbing the giant snowball in her direction, only for it to break apart-mid air, scattering harmlessly into mini chunks instead. "Okay, okay. That one didn't count!" he called out, already gathering more snow. "But, you better run. Cause next time? I'm going for the title!"

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Tiana hadn't even realized till their hand was outstretched, but they were honestly scared that Peter wouldn't take it. Maybe he'd back away like it was going to burn him. Maybe he'd just fade away, and this whole conversation was just a figment of Tiana's worst fears about their ability to form and maintain relationships. But no, his fingers slot into her cleanly and there's no big disaster, nothing that rips him away, never to be seen again. They just begin walking and it's like they never parted ways in the first place.

Still, it's reassuring when Peter breaks the silence. So Tiana isn't just alone in their worries about exactly how bruised he might be under all those layers. Cuts? Is getting into knife fights common for him now? Cool, Tiana would just have to roll with it.

"Oh, I know, hon," Sure, it's not their fault completely, but it is partially. It takes two to tango, and if Peter had his own reasons to isolate himself, then Tiana should've noticed sooner and worked harder to get to him. That had to be it, they just needed to work harder to make more time for him, and maybe more people that had fallen to the wayside. And if there really was something dangerous lurking in Peter's past? He had nothing to be apologizing for, "But I'm sorry too. I could've done more."

And wasn't that really all there was to say? They could go back and forth arguing about who's fault it was more, but Tiana wouldn't waste their breath when it ultimately didn't matter. Most of all, Tiana just wanted Peter to know that he wasn't alone, and that could only be shown through action, not words. Speaking of words though, Tiana needed to know what Peter was hiding from them. There was still something going on that he had left unspoken in the undercurrent of their conversation, and the waitress simply could not let it go until they knew he was safe. Or at least, as close to safety as they could help him get to.

Once they got into the front lobby of Tiana's building, they spoke again, hoping that getting indoors would bring Peter a reassurance that they were alone, "You don't... see this guy often, do you?" They gestured a free hand up to Peter's face, referring to whatever fight he'd gotten in with a mystery man.

you don't have to hide from me. the words echoed in Peter's head, unforgiving with their relentless softness; a gentleness to them that peter had resigned himself to letting go of years ago, a gentleness that he now found himself craving with a ferocity that was bordering on madness. despite the fact that he knew it was foolish, that it may very well be impossible for someone like him, he wanted; to hope, to ask, to try. " if you ever see me in the backseat of a cop car, bleeding or otherwise, please don't get yourself involved. your mom would kill me quicker than any of my wounds ever could. " if I'm ever a lost cause, don't go down with me; don't let me ruin you too. " but ... thank you. for being willing to. for still wanting to take care of me. " despite every reason not to, despite how easy he made it for people to give up on him, despite his own attempts to keep them from doing just that.

he felt some of the lingering tension dissipate from his muscles as Tiana agreed to let him go to their place instead of their moms, not quite sure if he could handle being this vulnerable in front of anyone other than Tiana right now. he still wasn't quite sure if he could handle it with them either, if he was honest, but the bruises on his face ached and the thought of nursing them alone in his office after their offer was too demeaning. " I can make it up the stairs, don't worry. it's just a little bruising, maybe a few cuts; he didn't break anything. " he was grateful for that much, at least. it was already going to be humiliating enough to go back to the hideout with bruises on him later, to show himself with a physical announcement that someone had caught him being weak; he couldn't imagine the shame if he'd had to go back with a limp too.

his gaze darted down, an almost disbelieving quirk to his eyebrows, as Tiana reached their hand out into the space between the two of them. he hesitated, momentarily, before slowly reaching out to place his hand into theirs in silent agreement. he watched, a little mesmerized, as their fingers slotted together afterword; as if this were natural, as if the last time he'd held hands with someone hadn't been decades ago, as if this weren't the most dangerous thing he'd done all year. " I could walk on my own. " but even as the words left his lips, more obligatory than purposeful, he didn't pull away. instead, he let himself be guided; silently willing, if not even grateful.

it was only once the silence turned to the soft sound of their footsteps against the pavement that Peter spoke again, his voice as soft and vulnerable as he felt at the moment. " I’m sorry I never reached out, by the way. after we lost touch, after - " the words felt like sandpaper on his tongue, every word foreign in their honesty, but he ignored it. after everything they'd done, after everything they'd been willing to risk, he could at least give them this. " it wasn't just on you. "

[eveningstcr]

Tiana didn't consider themself an expert on civics, but basically everyone in town knew that it was pointless to run against Zika. After all, he did great in the polls, seemed competent at the job, and most people just voted for the same person that trusted to keep the city afloat. Of course, there were always times when he seemed shadier than a politician should be... but then again, what politicians weren't hiding things? Beggers couldn't be choosers in Godscobh.

"You think I have time for a campaign? Sugar, I barely have time to sit and talk," They could only laugh at the thought, thinking about all the hours that would soon be filled with snapping customers and crying toddlers, "I mean, I'm hoping in the new year I'll qualify for a loan on the sugar mill, but that's still a ways off. I've got monthly goals though, and I'm doin' pretty well. I'm just hoping my car can stick it out a couple more months, cus I am not down with paying for another emergency."

That was one thing that might be nice about being the mayor - steady pay, health insurance, actual respect from others? "Don't get me wrong, a job where I'm not getting tipped in Bible tracts would be nice, but I'm hoping that's what owning a restaurant will get me to."

Hades chuckled softly, his fingers drumming lightly against the rim of his coffee cup. “Retired?” he echoed, as though the idea was foreign to him. His dark eyes glinted with faint amusement as he looked at them. “And leave this charming little town to fend for itself? I’d hate to think what kind of chaos would unfold in my absence.” He leaned back in his chair, his fair smile curling just a little sharper. “No, Miss Tiana, I think I’ll stick around. After all, who else could possibly keep this place running? The paperwork alone would send most people screaming for the hills.”

Hades gestured faintly towards the espresso they held in their hand, his expression lightening just a touch. “Besides, you’ve seen what the night shift does to people. I don’t think anyone’s lining up for my job – certainly not after seeing what it’s done to me.” He gestured to the lightly greying parts of his hair and beard, as if that was proving anything. He raised his lukewarm coffee in a mock toast. “So no, retirement isn’t in the cards. Someone has to make sure you can enjoy your six shots of espresso in peace. What about you? What would you rather be doing? You weren’t planning a campaign against me, were you?”  

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Tiana quickly shoved their phone away in a pocket, careful not to be caught staring at it too much while still clocked in. They did not need extra attention from bosses when already stressing about holiday plans. Wendy was so sweet to offer to come along anyways, so it was settled. Once plans were in place, Tiana couldn't try to change them - then they'd be forced to take a night away from work.

"I- Of course, absolutely, I know I'm not friendless. You're a great friend, Wendy. I just... lose touch with people. I've been thinkin' about that a lot lately," The waitress laughed a little, though it was twinged with a tightness and a smile that didn't quite reach their eyes. Yes, Tiana definitely had friends. They just didn't, y'know, spend time with any of them. Whenever there was an offer to go out dancing or spend a birthday with someone, it was always a night work took priority. Always.

And that was exactly it - Wendy was a great friend. Wendy had a career that supported her amazingly. Wendy could lead herself and her brothers to new and great things yearly. Tiana just felt stuck. That's why it hurt so much to have no time for Lottie lately, why it hurt so much that Peter didn't want to visit their apartment. It wasn't a jealousy of the younger writer necessarily, but Tiana certainly could feel like Wendy had her life so much more together than them.

"Okay, so we both bring our moms and we make it a family thing, and we can show them we have actual social lives and don't just think about work," Tiana shook negative thoughts away and took a deep breath, resigning themself to enjoying the night off and not worrying about it. After all, it was the exact thing that they had just been imploring Wendy to do, so there was no turning back now, "This might just be the first year I've actually done something with her before Christmas Day."

the brunette listened patiently as tiana gathered their thoughts. their schedule sounded painfully packed, and as much as she wanted to push for more, she figured it'd be easier to work with the other's time. "whichever night works for you both! really, i'm happy to meet you whenever you're able. and the lights will be on for a bit, so you have time!"

her smile turned more genuine at the mention of nagging mothers. she let out a soft laugh, "yours too? my mother is always worried whenever i talk to her." mary darling always seemed to have a reason to be concerned. whether it was if wendy was spreading herself too thin, or that she didn't take enough time off, or more awkwardly painful topics that wendy didn't want to think about right now.

"but you're never friendless," she reached out offering a gentle hand on tiana's arm for reassurance, before pulling back, "i'm your friend, always. but she isn't wrong- not entirely. it would be good to be doing more than just work. but tell you what, you tell me what day to meet up with your and your mom and i can treat you both. i'm the one inviting you guys out anyways, so it's only fair that i host too."

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Tiana practically dropped the pan she was carrying, holding in everything she wanted to snap back for a long moment. The waitress had to take a deep breath instead, deciding that it wouldn't do her stress levels any good to speak her mind right now. As much as she wanted to... "Vids, you have no idea what my boss is like, okay? So don't act like you have any idea," Tiana made sure to keep her voice measured and balanced, though she would've liked to bite the runner's head off.

"I appreciate the opportunity, but if you're going to keep railing on how I'm not doing things right, then you shoulda hired someone else," With as much grace as she could muster, Tiana set the pan of baked tarts on the cooling rack, separating each one carefully. Working on a task would certainly help her calm down, "How would you like it if someone came to your races and started telling you you didn't know how to run?"

As far as Vidia was concerned, Tiana didn't know what was coming form them once all the food reached work. There was a still a few hours of to go, but Vidia's temper was already getting the better of her, "Uh, yes he can be. The head of the Godscobh Network is hosting the biggest company party of the season, it's not gonna be like some little restaurant," She added, though knew to take a few deep breaths to calm down. If they ended up yelling at each other, the food would never get done, "Yes, it's a great opportunity. That's why I suggested you, Ti, because you're the only person I think could."

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Danny was so right about her aim, but Tiana couldn't exactly hear his yelling as she bolted as far away as possible. When the next snowball flew over her shoulder, Tiana practically yelped with a mix of being startled and pure excitement. Maybe weaving between the trees would help? None of them were thick enough to hide behind, but it'd throw off his aim enough to make the fight a little more fair, "Champion? Would gave you that title?"

She made a quick zig-zag through the forest nearby, only kneeling for a quick second to look behind and spot where Danny was chasing her. She scooped up another handful, not bothering to pack it into any shape, "I never give up, sugar!" But she could certainly avoid getting hit for as long as possible. With a new breath, Tiana made another throw, hitting Danny briskly in the arm and shattering into powder, "Oh no, that didn't hurt, did it?"

Danny's grin only widened as Tiana darted behind the painted rock. "Peace? After you started this? Not a chance!" he called back, voice full of playful defiance as he crouched to scoop up more snow. "Besides, you're the one who's gotta earn a truce here, not me!" He watched her attempt another toss, watching as it landed harmlessly to his right. "Oh, nice try!" he teased. "But, I think your aim needs a little work."

Without missing a beat, Danny lobbed another snowball in her direction, this one intentionally high enough to sail over her shoulder. He was far more focussed on keeping things fun than actually landing a hit. "C'mon, T! You're not giving up already, are you?" He taunted, bouncing on his feet as he scooped up more snow. But, when he saw her runnin, his face lit up with excitement. "Oh, running away now, huh?" he called, laughing as he started after her. "You can't escape the snowball champion!"

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Tiana hung their head a little, avoiding eye contact and going over their schedule mentally. It was just a few weeks till Christmas, had they really forgotten to plan something with mom this year? So much else had been going on... And they needed the hours. Wendy was lucky have built up hours of PTO - a luxury hourly wage earners like Tiana didn't have.

"I- Yeah, I might have time," The waitress put the pot back down, pulling their phone out to look at all the shifts filling up their calendar, "The lights will be up for multiple days though, right? I mean, my mom won't really care if it's not the first night, I... don't think," Actually, Eudora would probably reprimand them for not going out with some handsome guy or friends.

"I guess I could take a few hours on the 24th, in between the diner and the bar?" Leaving one job at 5:30pm would leave not-quite 3 hours before heading back out again at 8pm - but damn, that would be exhausting to fit something in that gap. And what about the cost of going to the event? "Maybe if you came, my mom wouldn't think I'm friendless for the holidays too. That woman is always saying I need more of a social life."

she began to add creamer and sugar to her coffee as to her liking. the strength of dark coffee was not something she'd ever gained an acquired taste to. though, she's yet to taste anything as strong or as horrid as her father's coffee. george darling liked his brew like the bottom coals of a fire it seemed.

her eyes drifted from her coffee back to the server- slowly as if giving Tiana a chance to tack on any response that would save it. none seemed to happen.

"tiana," wendy spoke softly, sending them a mildly reproachful look. "maybe the first night? when they shine the tree lights? you could take her then?" she tried to add on, trying to push them to taking a day off sooner than later. "if you want i could meet you guys there? i have a couple gifts to give anyways." maybe if wendy added her own day off, it'd incentive tiana more.

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"Wendy, you gotta remember you are a very capable person too. Very capable of doing anything you want - like taking a day off," The waitress' statement was punctuated by serving up another cup of coffee for Wendy - probably the third or fourth they'd both had this evening.

Now Wendy's was a question Tiana could admit was a little hypocritical for them to answer - here they were, telling Wendy she should take a day ( or more ) off and not worry about all her coworkers, but Tiana had already booked themself solid the entire next week of holidays with working long shifts instead. And for what? It wasn't as if anyone was coming to a diner at 8am on Christmas day - but they couldn't miss out on the hours. No, it was too important to get the numbers in their savings account to go up.

"Well, working at Tony's on Christmas Eve, then taking the overnight shift at the bar," Even Tiana could tell it sounded silly as they listed off all the things they'd be busy with instead of, say, visiting their mom on Christmas, "We do kind of a delayed thing for the holidays, I'll be taking my mom to see the tree lights some night though. I just haven't... planned it yet."

"i just worry," she shook her head, finishing off her pancakes and moving onto the slices of bacon she left behind. responsibility was a thing she took seriously, she wanted to prove herself to others. set a proper example that others could follow through with. "it's hard not for me to worry. my coworkers are lovely, i promise! very capable people!" wendy didn't want to disparage anyone, much less the people she worked with! they were a hard working team- mostly.

she turned her attention to tiana, "what about you, tiana? are you doing anything special for the holidays?"

her question came from a place of genuine curiosity. tiana always seemed so on top of things, but if she really thought about it, wendy couldn't recall the last time she had heard if the server gave herself a break. the brunette worried maybe tiana was stretching themselves too thin with all the shifts they often took. wendy still needed to figure out a way to give them the gift she got them.

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Tiana tempered down the relief they could feel pounding in their chest - it seemed their words had worked somehow, or gotten through to Peter at least a little bit. His reactions to everything already seemed so confusing, but Tiana was thankful they could still read the little twitches in his eyes and lips. It wasn't surprising that someone like him would be reluctant to accept help, of course, but Tiana could just tell that there was something more going on here. He might not have realized it, or been willing to accept it, but Tiana was looking out for him too. In fact, they were looking at him with clearer eyes than they had in probably years, and all Tiana could see was a man who needed help. Bruises and all, Peter was not the grizzled bundle of muscles that walked with them on the pier this day - at least, Tiana didn't believe that. And even if he was, Tiana couldn't say that they weren't a little battered and bruised by living in this town too. It wouldn't do either of them well to think of all the things that separated them, so instead Tiana could only imagine coming to know Peter as closely as they used to again.

"Sugar, I would still take care of you if you were bleeding out in the back seat of a cop car. You don't have to hide from me," Though in that situation, the medical intervention might've been above Tiana's skill level, but it would never stop them from at least trying to help. Maybe 'hide' wasn't the right word for what Peter was doing - sheltering? Either himself or Tiana from something, but they didn't want to be sheltered any more than they wanted to stop being his friend.

And despite the trust issues Peter might've had with people leaving or giving up on him, Tiana was in a unique place to understand the troubles of the town while giving the emotional support he might need. Financial support, not so much... but they could cross that bridge when they got to it. For the moment, Tiana was just grateful Peter had acquiesced, "Then we won't go to my mom's. My apartment's not far, if you think you can walk up a few flights of stairs."

The waitress brought her hand down, sensitive to how Peter was reacting to be touched. Maybe he was bruised up more than they'd realized... Or maybe it had just been a long, long time since Peter had anyone state out loud that they cared if he got hurt. But Tiana always would. In return, they held a hand out to him to accept, "Take my hand?"

Peter sucked in a sharp breath as he felt Tiana's hand settle onto his shoulder, as if even breathing the wrong way may be enough to lose the contact. when was the last time he'd been touched so gently, with so little intention behind it? he couldn't recall, wasn't quite certain if he even had. " I'm not - " lying? horrible at it? he wasn't even sure which version of events he wanted to deny anymore, the threads of his stories beginning to fray in a way that he was no longer entirely certain he had control over.

he physically flinched as their words landed, despite the fact that he knew he had just been the one begging to hear them. he knew what Tiana was doing giving him exactly what he'd asked for, knew that they were only trying to call his bluff, and he hated how well it was working. " I didn't say I didn't want to see you again. " he corrected softly, selfishly, as if it made any real difference. did what he want matter to them, when he was still trying to push them away? did the fact that he wished things were different make the hurt he'd caused any easier to swallow? " I'm just trying to look out for you. " he knew that Tiana was more than capable of taking care of themselves, was certain that his words would come off in a condescending way that he didn't mean, but it didn't feel fair to let them make a decision that they didn't have all of the details of. they didn't understand that choosing to know him meant also choosing to make their name known to some of the worst people this town had to offer.

" you'd still fix me up? after this? " he shouldn't have been surprised. part of the reason he was so insistent about removing himself from Tiana's life was because of their unending kindness, after all; someone like that didn't deserve to get drug into a life like his. " I - " he paused in his refusal, hesitating. their words bounced around in his head, haunting him in a way that he knew he shouldn't admit to; you won't ever have to see me again. if he said no now, if he pushed them away a final time, he didn't doubt that they'd follow through on that promise. he'd have done what was right, what would be best in the long run, and he could go lick his wounds alone; the way that he always had. but something persisted, something stubborn and foolish in his chest that refused to let him give up on this. " I shouldn't see your mom like this, not now, but ... if you're still willing to have me, maybe - " asking for help twice in one day? he'd be kicked out of the lost boys if any of them could see him now. " it would be easier with you there. " to help patch him up, of course, although he couldn't deny the double meaning to his words; it would all be a little easier with them there.

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Tiana should've known better than to try to compete with Danny's youth and zeal - he was obviously gonna have the speed to to knock the wind out her faster than she could build another snowball. It was worth trying to dodge and weave though, so Tiana found herself quickly hiding behind a large rock in the path ( one the high school seniors painted each year as traditions ).

"I come in peace, I promise!" The waitress laughed as the snowball landed a good few feet away. Danny was only going easy on her, of course, but it gave her enough time to pack another snowball behind cover, "You'll go easy on me, right?" Tough luck if he didn't, considering Tiana's aim was never the best - her next toss moved her a couple feet out of the protected area, and only landed to Danny's right on the ground. They clearly didn't have enough time to hide again or pack another one, so running seemed to be the only option.

Danny had been mid-bounce, boots kicking through the snow as he wandered aimlessly through the field, humming a tune under his breath. The sudden thump of snow hitting his shins made him freeze in place, head snapping to stare at the little splatter of white note clinging to his clothes. For a second, he just blinked at it, processing what had happened. Then, he looked up to see Tiana. His brow knit and a mischievous grin scrawled across his face. "Oh, you're playin' dirty, huh?" Danny's voice rang out, mock offense that was clearly smothered in excitement. "Throwin' snowballs at innocent guys..."

He bent down quickly, scooping up a fistful of snow, "That's how it's gonna be?" He packed it into a ball with all the determination of someone suddenly very serious about delivering payback. "You better start runnin', T!" With an exaggerated wind up, Danny flung the snowball toward her, purposefully aiming a little wide to keep things playful. "Consider than a warning shot!" he called, already crouching for another handful of snow.

[eveningstcr]

Honestly, despite Tiana working at various dinner places around town, they didn't really know a lot of the hot party places around town. Lottie was clearly an expert - even with her recent financial troubles, she was still the best at finding high-end, fancy palces to get their groove on,.

"Girl, you know I don't know any of the names of these places," Tiana was already bundling up their jacket, preparing for a wind chill as they came down the apartment stairs. The night air wasn't foreign to the waitress by any means, but they were usually just on their way to work another long shift, not get hit on by bar-goers ( though the two weren't always mutually exclusive ), "Let's just hit whatever's closest, cus if I'm gonna dance, it's gotta be early enough that my feet don't hurt."

Lottie squeezed Tiana's hand, holding their gaze steadily as they expressed their concerns. "Tia...What on earth were we put on this planet for if not to dream big and wish hard? If you get so caught up in the what ifs, you won't be able to appreciate what you do have." Lottie explained softly, "If you don't allow yourself to hope, how do you know things will get better? If you want a rainbow, ya gotta put up with the rain."

When Tiana finally conceded, Lottie screeched in joy, kissing her best friend's forehead as she sprang to her feet. "Absolutely! Unless you've got somewhere else you'd rather go?" Lottie inquired, primping her hair a bit in the mirror before reaching for her clutch and checking it over for all her belongings.

[eveningstcr]

Truthfully, Tiana didn't spend a lot of time scrolling social media - she basically didn't ave the time to get sucked into her phone. But every so often, an ad or influencer would sound tempting enough to consider online marketing. At the end of the day though, there was really only one thing Tiana was passionate enough to do forever - cooking.

"I can see it now; Hercules Ariti with a million followers, flexing muscles and shelling out protein powder," Though she couldn't sit down while on the job, Tiana leaned on the side of Herc's booth with a casual smile. It was just slow enough in her section to take a break, so she gave Herc a playful roll of the eyes, "I guess that's really the only other thing I can think of besides like, training for the firefighter's test. But that would probably take you a month or two to prep for."

Hercules couldn't help but agree. Nodding his head along with her words. He really hadn't thought as heavily about how he could make some extra cash, other than taking a few extra shifts at work, so it was nice to have somebody he could at least bounce ideas off of.

"Online?" He questioned. Surprisingly for such a young guy he wasn't so good with technology. His parents had mostly kept him off of the internet as a kid, making sure he wasn't like these kids that go around attached to their phones. He still had yet to download Tiktok either, but Herc was quite often late to all the trends and fads. "You know what, I never quite understood how money gets made from that stuff." Though at this point, it might be a good avenue to go down.

[eveningstcr]

Tiana was a little surprised to hear a hint of humility in Gaston's voice - regret? Surely not, he didn't seem like the type to really think through the things he said to service workers. Maybe her words had struck a chord with him, but Tiana wouldn't bet on it.

"Sure, but you don't have to talk me up or anything - he knows I'm great at what I do," The waitress shrugged, starting to wonder if Gaston would ream her out in the survey for insulting him. Was talking back to customers something Tony would dock her for? Tiana didn't want to take the chance, "If you ever need better staff at the lodge, Tony'll probably shuck off some of our other workers though. He can't stand Jessica and Walt," She whispered, as if it was a secret.

Gaston pursed his lips a little, mildly embarrassed by the rejection. Even more so by the accusation he had to bribe anybody to spend time with him. He knew he was far too alluring even without his money to need to do that sort of thing. Still, he understood why they had been so blunt. They were on the job, a job the waitress clearly took far too seriously for Gaston's liking, but that really is the only explanation that Gaston can think of.

"Oh I never said he was my bestie. Just another person I clearly have to bribe to hang out with me." Gaston joked. Hoping they would find it funny too, but he could tell by the look in their eyes they did not share Gaston's incredible sense of humour. "But fine, I'll fill out a survey card. It's Tiana, right?" Gaston asked, as if it was something he had remembered from his many, many visits and hadn't just read it off the waitress' name tag.

[eveningstcr]

Tiana folded her arms when Gaston bragged about knowing the older - she should've known better than to think all the business owners in town wouldn't have had a little club where they all gossiped about ways to torture their workers. Tony wasn't a bad boss by any means, but he wasn't terribly present at the job. In fact, Gaston might've known him even better than Tiana did - not that she'd admit that.

When the overly tall man flashed his money in her face, Tiana had to suppress an eye roll, "Sugar, I'm sure you're a real popular guy with a lot of other circles," The waitress took a flat palm and pushed Gaston's hand far, far away from her person, "Why don't you go ask someone you don't have to bribe to hang out with you?"

Another job wouldn't have been such a bad idea right about now - the holiday season did get pretty expensive - but working up on a secluded hill with Gaston sounded like a recipe for disaster. If Tiana didn't know any better, she's might've interpreted a slight innuendo in the man's comment, but of course her customer service smile had to persevere no matter what, "If you want to reward me on my amazing service, you can fill out the survey card that comes with your receipt. Or maybe tell your bestie, Tony, to give me a raise."

"You mean Tony? around five foot five, angry little guy" Gaston smirked. If there was one thing he had learnt from his father other than the whole hunting shtick, it was how to network. The second he decided to settle in this shifty little town he made sure, all the local business owners knew his name. "I'm sure he won't mind you taking a sit for a sec." Gaston, gestured to the free booth space inf front of him. Making sure the twenty that was tucked between his index and middle finger was surely visible.

When asked about what his 'boss' let him do Gaston couldn't quite believe the question. Surely she knew who he was, and what he did. Perhaps not though, he was more than happy to remind the waitress. "I don't have a boss. I am, my boss."

He took another mouthful of the basic pork sausage, and found himself once again, gazing up at his server. "As much as I do love the coffee here, I'm of course here for that wonderful service." he paused to swallow "You ever thought about coming to work for me, up at my lodge? minimum wage of course, but I can assure you, the tips would certainly be worth your while." he smiled, shooting them a cheeky wink as he took a long swig of his coffee.